Hey Gary,
Sounds like a cool idea. Have you ever visited the hypertufa forum here at GW? They do some things there along the lines you're thinking. There's a mosiac forum, too, if you need more help with the details, but there's some folks here, too, that do some fantastic things with mosaic that maybe can help. I think it could be beautiful. I think concrete blocks would be good to stack them. Instead of having to use so much dirt I've read of people using milk jugs, soda bottles, old pill bottles and/or foam packing peanuts to take up space. Just to mention a different possibility, when you said stack them, the first thing I pictured was a fountain. Something to think about... I know you asked the question, but thanks for the ideas, lol, I'm gonna be looking at my pots a whole different way today :) Have fun with your project. Donna

With pots that big, rather than mosaic them and make them so much heavier, I would just paint them with the paints made especially for plastics. Krylon and Rustoleum both make them. You can get a variety of colors and textures.

I see Plaid now makes crafting paints for plastic too. If you are good at painting or using stencils or stamps, that would be a good idea to add extra color and punch to the planters once they are painted. Or using painter's tape and create stripes. Although putting a design on something that big could make it look too busy.

Mosaic will add A LOT of weight to the planters and the plastic, being so light, will probably cause the grout to crack when you move it the least little bit. If you want to get a mosaic look without the weight, try decoupaging a paper pattern on it that looks like a mosaic.

Can't help you much with stacking the planters. Although your concrete block idea sounds as good as any. Just be careful ... some of those nursery pots are flimsy and once filled with dirt, they can bend and crack easily when you try to move them. Make sure you have plenty of support underneath them when stacking.

Are really 6', 4' & 2' in diameter? I have never seen pots as big as 6' and 4'. They must be real whoppers!

Whatever you do, make sure you post a picture of your final piece!

I would go with the paint. Also, I saw an idea somewhere about nursery pots. Get some pipe insulation to put around the top edge of the pot to give it a more rounded look. I'm going to try that on some of mine.
If you use packing peanuts put them in plastic bags. Then if you want to empty the pots later you're not picking styrofoam out of the soil.

Hi Gary, what an amazing gift. Even the smaller big ones are hard to come by now unless you buy a very big plant. They used to sell them around here but stopped, I suppose to make us buy more expensive containers.
I think they would make a great stacked planter and your idea about the concrete blocks is a good one. Make sure you've got them level and supporting the whole pot above.
I bet it will look like an old fountain turned into a planter and the black might just look like cast iron. Maybe spray a little bit of rust paint on to complete the illusion.
Then you could plant it to be like a fountain, a spray of something coming out of the top middle maybe in a smaller black pot for height etc.
Be sure to post pics of what every you decide to do!
kathy

I like the hypertufa idea too.

Hi
Donna I thought of making a fountain but can you imagine the weight filled with water ?? lol Also how would you be able to get it perfectly level and stay that way??
Already have 3 water gardens so was thinking of using them for winter vegetables and maybe some strawberries.temporary herbs. I have a fairly level site but not sure if the soil would hold the weight. maybe some screeded gravel as a base. As to filling with soil since they would be stacked the centers except for the top one would be use less any way and the blocks would take up the room but wonder if they would provide enough support. Probably need some type of flat disk on top of the blocks to support the entire bottom. But what won't rot buried in soil?? Hypertufa sounds interesting but would it adhere to the poly?? I've mosaiced a few ordinary pots but find adhesives don't last. Was thinking of using soda bottles as a filler since for what I want to grow don't need that depth and would reduce the weight considerably.
These pots are used for full sized palm trees and have fork lift hoops on the sides. I was surpised they didn't take them back when they finished the neighbors plantings.
can't imagine what they cost, which makes me think they may be of some degradeable material?? Sure looks like poly to me lol. Anyway since free worth a shot !!
Paint is sure an idea but wouldn't it still look like plastic of another color?? maybe a flourescent pink or purple lol.??
Can't imagine what this will cost for soil to fill even with the centers removed lol I can get compost from the county but maybe I better buy a larger truck??
Anyway thanks for the ideas. First off have to decide where to store these until used. ,get a level solid base and how to figure out when it is level. Maybe a straight 2x4 accross the top?? Thanks again gary

Great ideas above! One more possibility would be to glue rope to the plastic, winding it around and around until it's fully covered. Might suit the sea/surf area you're in and look nautical & natural. The rope would keep the black plastic from getting so hot in the sun too.

I would plant something like a Japanese Maple in the biggest planter maybe, with it situated in a permanent area of your property. Well, in Florida there's many possibilities of plants to pick from, so some kind of tropical might be the best choice. Or a succulent or cactus. Depends if you've got shade, etc.

I also like the tiering idea! I can see it in my head ..... but I am concerned that concete blocks could cave in with lots of weight on them. Maybe there's something more stable, like sand, or maybe fill sand in around the blocks? Bricks would never cave like blocks sometimes do, if you have any bricks to use instead.

Please share pics when you finish the project, lucky you to have such a nice neighbor! I'm sure you'll decide what's best for your situation.

Good to see ya here, welcome to the forum. ~tenderlee

This was in a previous post. You might try this idea. Link provided below. You may have to copy and paste it.

http://organicgrowingpains.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post.html

tenderlee
Thanks for the tips >have thought of the rope trick but even if you allowed each coil to cover 1 inch would still require over 450 feet of rope for the large one alone !!
I feel sure the concrete blocks would hold up the weight but suspect it would sag where not in direct contact. Need some kind of disk to distribute the weight ,but only material I can think of that size would be plywood but not underground?? Each section will have to done separately and VERY level or would end up with the tower of Pisa lol If stacked evenly would still be 6 feet to the top tier. probably too high.??
Can't grow J. maples in 10 due to summer heat. Was thinking winter vegetables or strawberries or maybe seasonal herbs maybe annuals during summer.
halleyrose Will check that out .Thanks for the suggestions!!! gary

You could use the bottom of the pot as a mold to make a concrete disc (put dividers to make it in several pieces and reinforce them with chicken wire or something suggested on the hypertufa forum), or even pour concrete into the bottom once in place and let it cure, forming an internal disc. Boy that would be a permanent installation tho! And you'd need to make holes through the middle as it cured for drainage.
I don't know Gary, its starting to sound like a huge project! Are you up for it? I'm getting tired just thinking about it, lol.
If you used them as raised planters, not stacking, you could place them in such a way to fool the eye from some view, the smaller furthest away creating the illusion of greater distance or something.
kathy

Here is a photo of tiered pots that I do each year. I call it my living water feature. I fill the bottome third with light weight lava rock then soil then the plants. It only stands about 3 feet tall so not as tall as what your pots would be.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:136542}}

Hi
That is very attractive!! What keeps the upper pot from compacting the lower one?? Not that much weight??
Kathey The concrete might work but would sure add to the total weight. The more I think about it the more I realise how much w ork and expense it's becoming. Now thinking more of a sunken lotus pond lol Just for the 4 foot one. Dig hole push in plant lol.
I run accross some plans for a planter called a "strawberry tower . Was made of wood in a four sided pyramid shape . Would be perfect for my use as it would be easy to do the constant replanting necessary for what I want to grow,. I see the wood replaced with vinyl timbers with the shelving replaced with hardi board. May need to tie it down especially for the hurrricanes lol.
Still leaves me with a 6 and 2 foot pot .Maybe I do need some more watergardens ??? Thanks everybody gary